Machine for wiring wood fencing



(No Model.) 2 Sheets Sheet 1.

S. H. & M. H. MERRIDITH. MACHINE FQRWIRING WOOD FENOING.

No. 451,500. Patented May5, 1891.

2 Shets-fiheet 2.

(No Model.)

S. H. & M. H. MERRIDITH. MACHINE FOR WIRING WOOD FENCING.

No. 451,500. Patented May 6,1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT FFiCE.

SAMUEL I l. MERRIDITH AND MELVIN I'IALDEMAN MERRIDITI'I, OF \VEST LIBERTY, IO\VA.

MACHINE FOR WIRING WOOD FENCING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 451,500, dated IVIay 5, 1891.

Application filed January 12, 1891. Serial No. SWA N (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beitknown that we, SAMUEL II. MERRIDITH and MELVIN HALDEMAN MERRIDITH, citizens of the United States, residing at Vest Liberty, in the county of Muscatine and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for \Viring \Vood Fencing; and we do declare the following; to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to machines for m aking wire-and-wood fencing, and aims to pro- Vide a machine which will be efficient, simple, and perform its work in a satisfactory manner, and which will be convenient of operation.

The improvement consists in the novel features and the peculiar construction and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and which are shown in the annexed drawings,in Which Figure 1 is a top plan view of a machine embodying our improvements, the registering mechanism not being shown. View of the machine. Fig. 3 is a front view of a twister. Fig. t is a detail perspective view of a twister, the parts being separated and arranged in their relative positions. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the twisting mechanism.

The frame A is suitably constructed to support the operating parts of the machine and retain them in a fixed relation. The reel 0 for winding the completed fence is located at one end of the frame, and the tension-roller B is arranged at the opposite end thereof, and the twisting and spacing devices are intermediate of the ends of the frame. The spoolframe D, placed close to the tension-roller B, supports the spools of wire cl, which form the longitudinal cables between which the pickets are twisted. The twisting-head comprises the side frames E, which are approximately triangular shaped and placed with their bases on the frame A, the cross-sill E, and the cross-bar E parallel with the sill E, the

Fig. 2 is a side sill and cross-bar being secured at their ends to the side frames E and the twisters. The triangular frames E have their base portions guided by staples e on the main frame.

The twisting-head is adapted to move longitudinally of the machine on the frame A to permit the insertion of the pickets between the strands of the cables and to force the picketto the proper place between the wires prior to twisting the wires about it. he head may be moved by any convenient mechanical appliances, prefe ably by the arms 6, which are connected at their upper ends with the tread and at their lower ends with the rock-shaft e, which is journaled in the frame 'A. One end of the rock-shaft e is extended and the operating-lever c is attached thereto. In order that the twisting-head may move on the frame A in straight lines, the arms 6 are connected therewith by the links e", as shown.

The twisters F are journaled in the blocks or frames G, that are mounted on the crosssill E, and the cross-bar E being adjustable on the latter, and held thereon in the located position by binding-screws g and g, respectively. The twisters are caused to revolve together by suitable gearing, such as the sprocket-chain II, which passes around the sprocket-teeth on the twister-s, motion being imparted to the end twister by the bevel-gearing h and 7t and the crank-shaft 7712, the latter being journaled in the brackets 77. which project from the extended end of the crosssill E. The twisters are each composed, essentially, of three partsthe sprocket-wheel f, the apertured heads f and the notched disks f, the notches in the latter being provided in pairs and of varying depth, the notches of each pair being of like depth and diametrically opposite each other. The sprocket-wheel is centrally disposed between the headsf and the disks f f, the parts being secured together by the bolt f The heads f are provided at diametrically opposite points with slots or openings f corresponding in length with the depth of the deepest notches in the disk f, to permit the wires to occupy the proper position. It will be seen that by the use of twister-heads of this construction the wires may be changed from one set of notches in the disksf to another by simply loosening the bolt f and turning the disk f to the proper point to admit the wires to the proper set of notches, after which the parts may again be secured in place by retightening the bolt, and it will also be seen that the twister-head will be thus readily adapted for use with varying widths of pickets, as where narrow pickets are used the wires would be placed within the deeper notches in the disk, and when wide pickets are used the wires would of course be placed in the shallower notches.

The spacing mechanism is composed of the shaft I, provided with arms i and journaled in the brackets J, which are secured at their inner ends to the twistinghcad. The outer bent end L" of the shaft I is connected with the horizontal arm of the elbow-lever "F, that is pivoted to the upper end of the operatinglever 6 The outer ends of the arms i are hook-shaped to ride over the pickets and engage with the edge thereof faein g away from the twister. The brackets J are adjustable, being composed of two overlapping pieces, which are slotted and held together by a bolt passing through the slots in the pieces. By having the brackets adjustable the position of the shaft I can be changed relative to the twisting-head to adapt the machine to different widths of pickets or to space pickets of like width at diiferent distances apart.

The reel 0 is made in two parts, between which the end of the fence is clamped, and is journaled in the open brackets K on the frame A, being held in the brackets by the pin 70. The sprocket-wheel it" 011 the projected end of the reel 0 is connected by the sprocketchain with the sprocket-pinion t on the shaft L, the latter being operated by the crank I, which is loosely mounted on the shaft L, and which is provided with the pawl Z, that is adapted to engage with the ratchet-wheel Z keyed on the shaft L. By this arrangement the crank Z will hang down out of the way when not in use. The shaft L is prevented from turning back by the detent-pawl Z on the frame engaging with the ratchetwheel Z" thereon.

The guide-roller M, over which the completed fence passes, is just eighteen inches in circumference, whereby when it has made eleven complete revolutions it will have m easured one hundred and ninety-eight inches, or one rod. The cam on, consisting of a circular disk eceentrically pivoted on the extended end of the guide-roller, operates the lever m to which the pawl m is attached, that operates the ratchet-wheel 7223, having only eleven teeth. The tail of the lever is acted upon by the spring an, attached to the same and to the standard m and a bail m rigidly attached to the lever, acts upon the said pawl 722. which is loosely pivoted to the pivot-pin of the said lever. The ratchet-wheel m makes one complete revolution to every eleven revolutions of the guide-roller M. Hence each revolution represents one rod of fencing. The registering-disk m, which is normally held against rotation by friction, is moved forward one tooth at each complete revolution of the ratchet-wheel m by the arm or projection on on the ratchet-wheel m engaging therewith. The pointer m indicates the proper number upon the disk on. The disk mi and ratchetwheel at are journaled on a standard m as seen in Fig. 2.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The wires N are passed through the staples n at the endof the frame and around the tension -roller 13 and through the staples a, through the proper twisters, over the guideroller, and have their ends clamped between the halves of the reel. The pickets are inserted endwise between the wires which comprise the cable, the twisting-head being previously drawn back, andare pressed forward into proper position by moving the twistinghcad forward, the wires being twisted about the picket by operating the twisters through the instrumentalities hereinbcfore specified. After the picket has been bound by the wires the shaft L is operated to give motion to the reel to wind the fence thereon and draw the wires through the twisters. The twistinghead is again drawn back, a second picket is inserted between the wires, the head moved forward, and the hooked arms 1' engaged with the picket previously bound, in order to properly space the picket to be bound and hold the twister-head in proper position during the process of twisting the wires. By operating the lever the arms i are disengaged from the pickets when winding the fence on the reel. The frictional contact of the fence with the guide-roller rotates the latter and operates the registering mechanism. Obviously there may be as many twisters on the twisting-head as required, and they lean be adjusted to space the cables the required distances apart. The twisters are adjustable to varying thicknesses or widths of pickets by loosening the bolt f and turning the disks f so as to register with the slots in the heads f, as described.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim to be new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a fence-machine, the combination, with a twisting-head movable lengthwise of the machine, the main frames, and guides, of the picket-spacing device comprising the shaft I and hooked arms '5, elbow-lever i and operating-lever, to which the elbow-lever is pivoted, connected with the said twistinghead, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the twisting-head and the adjustable brackets J, secured to the twisting-head, of the shaft I, journalcd in the brackets and having the hooked arms 1', the operating-lever, and the elbow-lever connecting the same with the said shaft, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a fcnce-machine, the combination,

IIO

with the twisting-head and the reel, of the guide-roller having a cam at one end, the wheel m, havi'i'ig teeth and a projection, the lever and pawl for operating the wheel from the said cam, and the registering-disk m operated by the projection on the wheel m substantially as described.

4. In a fence-machine, the combination, with the twisting-head movablelongitudinally of the main frame and in guides therein, and the shaft I, having the hooked arms 11, carried by the said head, of the rock-shaft e, the arms (2, connected with the rock-shaft and with the said twisting-head, the'operatinglever c and the lever i connected with the shaft I and mounted 011 the lever 6 substantially as described.

5. In a fence-machine, the combination, with the twisting mechanism and the reel having a sprocket-wheel 70 on its projected 20 

